Keonjhar: Tribal farmers living at Erandei village under Patana block in mineral rich Keonjhar district are keen to take up agriculture, but absence of irrigation facilities has been a major hurdle.
On the other hand, the state government has been making tall claims that it has been working for boosting agriculture through various schemes. But these claims appear hollow in this area, a report said.
The state government had promised 33 per cent irrigation coverage in each block, but this is yet to be achieved in this remote block, experts noted.
The tribal residents have got some land under Forest Rights Act. But making them cultivable in the hilly dry area is a tough task.
They have got 22 acres of land, but are unable to cultivate them sans irrigation.
The tribals took up the issue with Collector Saturday, demanding irrigation facility in the area. They urged the Collector to set up lift irrigation points in their village, so as to make use of water of river Baitarani that flows nearby.
Sufficient water is available at Sinduragouri gorge in the river. “A lift irrigation project will help us immensely to harness the water from the gorge to raise crops in the farmland. We can get good sources of livelihood,” said villagers Jagabandhu Singh, Bidyadhar Singh, Chandra Das and Golak Das.
PNN